Vehicle splash guards, sometimes referred to as mud flaps, have been used on automobiles for many years. Historically, splash guards were products purchased in the after market and mounted by auto owners on their vehicles. While splash guards are intended to reduce spray to following vehicles but, at least with automobiles, they are often purchased and installed to protect the finish and undercarriage of the vehicle on which they are mounted.
In recent years, manufacturers have supplied customized splash guards which are specifically contoured and designed to fit specific vehicles. After market suppliers manufacturers responded by producing splash guards which gave the appearance of being customized as taught and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,938 issued Dec. 1, 1987 to Douglas K. Ward et al.
Vehicle manufacturers strive to reduce fuel consumption so that vehicles can be economically operated. Reductions in the weight of vehicles have contributed significantly to the improvement in economical operations. Many of the weight reductions have been achieved by substituting plastic materials for metal, most notably steel. At least one model vehicle to be introduced to the market presently has side panels which are molded from plastic material which is superior to steel at least from the stand point of resistance to corrosion and reduced weight.
A disadvantage of the plastic panels is that at least those portions of the side panel immediately adjacent the rear wheel well do not have sufficient rigidity and flange width for satisfactory mounting of a splash guard by conventional techniques. As a consequence there is a need for a splash guard assembly which has a structure which provides reinforcement of a side panel thereby making the mounting of a splash guard on a panel defined wheel well both possible and attractive.